This week's view is of two interesting characters. The multi-coloured Rainbow Lorikeet and the beautiful Australian Mistletoe. There are 7 species of Lorikeet, and Rainbow Lorikeets are the largest, brightest and possibly the bossiest of these parrots. They aren't endemic to the Weddin Shire, traditionally being more of a coastal bird, but they came, they saw, they bred with gusto and it seems that like it or not, they're here to stay. (And not everyone does like them. Although native to Australia, they're an introduced threat to native parrots in Tasmania, native flora in Western Australia, and have the potential to spread the deadly Beak and Feather Disease.) Mistletoe is misunderstood and maligned, mostly (And that'll do with the alliteration....) because of ignorance. There are around 85 species of Australian Mistletoe and whilst it's true that they're semi-parasitic, it isn't true that they always kill their host plant. Mistletoe's existence in an area is usually a sign of a healthy ecosystem, because its fruit and nectar provides nutrition for a variety of animals, birds and insects, (Gliders, possums, koalas, sheep and cattle; honeyeaters, Lorikeets, Emus, Bowerbirds, Cockatoos and around 25 species of butterfly.) not least being the Mistletoe bird. The existence of the tiny, gorgeous and musical Mistletoebird is enough for me to be very glad that Mistletoe exists in Australia!

A bird's-eye-view of the Rainbow Lorikeet with Jenn Graham

This week's view is of two interesting characters. The multi-coloured Rainbow Lorikeet and the beautiful Australian Mistletoe.

There are 7 species of Lorikeet, and Rainbow Lorikeets are the largest, brightest and possibly the bossiest of these parrots. They aren't endemic to the Weddin Shire, traditionally being more of a coastal bird, but they came, they saw, they bred with gusto and it seems that like it or not, they're here to stay. (And not everyone does like them. Although native to Australia, they're an introduced threat to native parrots in Tasmania, native flora in Western Australia, and have the potential to spread the deadly Beak and Feather Disease.)

Mistletoe is misunderstood and maligned, mostly (And that'll do with the alliteration....) because of ignorance.

There are around 85 species of Australian Mistletoe and whilst it's true that they're semi-parasitic, it isn't true that they always kill their host plant.

Mistletoe's existence in an area is usually a sign of a healthy ecosystem, because its fruit and nectar provides nutrition for a variety of animals, birds and insects, (Gliders, possums, koalas, sheep and cattle; honeyeaters, Lorikeets, Emus, Bowerbirds, Cockatoos and around 25 species of butterfly.) not least being the Mistletoe bird.

The existence of the tiny, gorgeous and musical Mistletoebird is enough for me to be very glad that Mistletoe exists in Australia!